X-Message-Number: 14530
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 2000 07:15:04 -0400
From: Thomas Donaldson <>
Subject: why the fate of the Sun relates to us

For Paul Wakfer and others:

One major reason why cryonicists want to discuss things not obviously
related to cryonics is simple: cryonics itself changes your attitude
to many things, not just ice and temperature. Just how far a belief
in cryonics can extend we haven't yet worked out.

For instance, as one replier to your original message said, once we
aim for immortality lots of things become pertinent to us, including
such things as the lifespan of the Sun and the Universe. It's not that
we think that the lifespan of the Sun is much shorter, but rather that
if we aim to live long enough, then it behooves us to think about such
problems (for which we now have no solutions at all) even now. Perhaps
before the Sun goes out we'll have worked out what to do.

Yes, there are many places where people who are NOT immortalists and
NOT interested in cryonics (at least judging from their behavior)
think about such things as other habitable planets, the future life
of the Sun, and other such closer topics as: the near term fate of
the Earth (carbon dioxide), how we can substitute for gasoline, and
other such issues. Even for near-term issues, the approach of someone
who is thinking about them for the sake of his/her children, and 
someone who is thinking about them for HIS/HER sake when they happen
after he reaches the age of 200 ... the approach becomes quite 
different. What can we REALLY do to change the way the climate is
going? Not just engage in ideological conflict, but actually what
can you or I do so that OUR life will improve when we reach 200?

I believe that is why such issues found their way onto Cryonet. And
yes, they should be there. We can learn from what other nonimmortalists
are saying, but ultimately our immortalism will change how we think
about many things ... with that change becoming greater the farther
away from us in the year 2000 it occurs.

So that is why such issues get onto Cryonet. And they deserve too.
So far, at least in my case, they haven't changed my interest in 
helping improve methods of storage. (I do doubt that we'll get
complete storage as soon as you think, at least for CRYONICS, but
that is a second question). Nor have they changed my interest in
how we can deal with other questions close to cryonics, such as 
that of dealing with other family members, improving our ability
to give good service to those who (for one reason or another) live
far from the largest cryonics center, and many others.

		Best and long long life to all,

			Thomas Donaldson
			

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